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Huge fire ravages migrants camp in north France, many wounded: report

Xinhua, April 11, 2017 Adjust font size:

A huge fire broke in the Grande-Synthe migrant camp near Dunkirk northern France overnight after a knife fighting between migrants, according to a local report.

The blaze which started on Monday afternoon reduced the wood-made shelters to rubble and forced 1,500 inhabitants to move to other sites, news channel BFMTV reported.

At least 10 migrants were wounded because of the fire, it added.

"There is nothing left but a heap of ashes," Michel Lalande, prefect of France's Nord region was quoted as saying.

"It will be impossible to put the huts back where they were before," he added.

The blaze was likely caused by a violent knife fight between Afghans and Kurds at the camp. Six were injured in the scuffle

Since 2016, the camp has been a home for 1,500 migrants, mainly of them are Kurds who hope to reach Britain, according to the report. Endit